Process of preparing flock-cotton for explosives.



ALBERTO m; SALAS, or MEXICO, unrrroo.

PROCESS OF PREPARING FLOCK-GOTTON TOR EXPLOSTVIES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I ALBERTO on Same, a subject of Spain, and a iesident of the city of Mexico, country of Mexico, have in vented certain new ments in Processes of Preparing Frock-Cotton for Explosives, of which the following is a specification.

treatment may lit The object of this invention is to Provide a means of recovering from such materials as soiled cotton rags, machinists waste, garment manufacturers cuttings, and discarded clothing, a suitable and inexpensive substitute for the raw or bloom cotton heretofore used in the manufacture of smokeless powder, guncott-on, and other varieties of .ex-

plosives in which nitrated cotton is an im portant ingredient.

For the preparation of flock cotton from new or fairly clean rags, a tank with a solution of sodium soap is provided, one hundred kilos of rags requiring five hundred liters of water and from three to five kilos of the soap. The soap is dissolved by boiling from fourto five hours, preferably in small containers. After the solution has become tepid, onekilo of bicarbonate of "soda is added and the rags are soaked in the cold solution for about eight hours. They are then wrung out and washed either in clean running water orclean water which is either in clean running water or clean water which is changed about every 51K hours until the rags are thoroughly clean. Then after wringing out and drying in the sun they are again brought into a flocculent condition either by raveling by hand or by passing through a teaseling machine.

For the preparation of flock 'cottonfroin dirty or containgrease, the be substantially the same en ce t for an increase in the strength of the rags which are .so ution as to some or all of the ingredients Specification of Letters Patent.

and useful Improve Patented lDeo. ill, WM...

Application filed July 19, 1917. Serial No. 181,590.

according to the amount of dirt and grease to be removed. In the case of very dirty and greasy rags a suitable solution for the first treatment consists of five hundred liters of water in which eight kilos of sodium soap have been dissolved by boiling, five kilos of'bicarbonate of soda added while the solution is hot, and about ten grams of anilin oil. The rags are soaked for eight hours in the cold solution, then wrung out, and washed in frequently changed or running water until no further impurities are washed out. They are then wrung out, dried. in the sun and brought into a flocculent condition. This is followed by washing with water in which one or two per cent. of soap has been dissolved by boiling. A. second treatment is then given in which the wrung-out material is put into a tank containing a new solution and soaked for about twelve hours. This solution consists of one thousand liters of water, ten kilos of normal carbonate of soda and fifteen kilos of ammonia. It is kept at a temperature of (3., and the flock is kept stirred under for twelve hours. Then it is wrung out and washed in frequently changed clean tepid water for six hours and the washing continued in clean running water until it loses its odor. Then it is wrung out and after being dried in the sun is brought into a flocculent condition by passing three times through a teaseling machine. 1

The foregoing detailed description has been given for olearness of understanding and no undue limitation should be deduced therefrom, but the appended Claimsshould be construed as broadly as permissible in view of the prior art. h

' What ll claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United @tates is:

l. The process of preparing flock cotton which conslsts in soaking rags in a solution" of soap and an alkali, washing, drying, and mechanically bringing into a flocculent condition, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

'2. The process of preparing flock cotton, which consists in soaking rags in a solution of sodium soap and bicarbonate of soda, washing, drying and mechanically bringing into a docculent condition, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

3. The process of preparing flock cotton,

llllh lllh . which consists in soaking rags in asolution of sodium soap, bicarbonate of soda, and.

anilin oil, Washing, drying, and mechanicarbonate of soda and ammonia, substan- Cally bringing into a fioceulent condition, tially as described and for the purpose set substantially as described and for the purforth.

pose set fOIth- Signed at New York, N. Y., this 16th day E5 4. The process of preparing flock cotton, of July, 1917.

which consists in soaking rags in a solution of sodium soap, bicarbonate of soda, and ALBERTO DE SALAS' anilin oil, ashing, drying, and mecha ni- Witnesses: eally bring ng 1n t0 a 110ccu lent cond1t1on SAMUEL W. BALCH, 10 and retreatlng With a solution of normal PEDRO REQUENA-LEGARRETA. 

